Last night, I actually passed out earlier than usual for reasons unknown. Tonight, I feel a similar sleepiness.

This began as I turned on a program of GnosCast to listen to some of Father Troy’s commentary. I had previously listened to some of his podcasts but, as with many things, became distracted and subsequently never finished them.

However, for anyone who’s ever heard Father Troy Pierce’s voice, you’ll know what the peace that passeth understanding is- his voice is deep-ish and soothing, a particular kind of calm, and…then I was out like a light.

Anyway, I woke up periodically throughout the night, and I could hear Troy in my dreams- I distinctly remember the part about gnosis and epistemis and so on last night in one of my dreams.

This is how it went:

Friends of mine and I were in a large mansion or a cave of some sorts; we were in the basement area, which was at once a cave and also had some kind of technology or machinery built into it. I had the impression that this was a location for planning or studying.

Later on in the dream, I was on a floating island in the sky. I was a bird or had wings or something of the sort, and I remember there were two other people on this island, in a small but very elaborately decorated house- a strange, tall, pale woman who was cruel and ruthless and a servant who I cannot remember.

The woman ritually would sacrifice birds to use their blood to give herself life. I created a plan where the room she normally lived in was destroyed, causing her to have to move to another room with a door. Since she was in this other room, I was able to escape- and I remember that I had the ability to fly in the dream, and I wasn’t afraid to fly, either.

That’s the last clear part of the dream I can remember.

Anyway, I’m not certain what it all means, as there are other parts of the dream that are just pieces and I can’t really remember; I think at one point, I was at a Halloween party or something, because I remember flying on a broomstick and people being dressed up in costumes, along with banners being hung up.

I would imagine the birds and wings represent freedom and the pale woman representing some kind of Dark Mother aspect, but I’m not totally sure.

Have you ever watched a movie with friends, and you were all able to declare which character you were in the movie? Or have you read a book and found yourself identifying heavily with one character or another?

Now, let’s take this a step deeper: have you ever read ancient mythology and felt this kind of kindredness to certain characters?

What about the Bible?

I think it’s an experiment worth trying.

I call this process of identifying one’s self in a story as “mytho-location.” That is, the locating of one’s self inside a myth, legend, novel, plot, and what have you.

In Christianity, I daresay the vast majority of people might then read the Bible and identify most heavily with the various Apostles and disciples of Jesus. That is, they are the spectators, the informants, the confidants, of Christ; they pay attention to His Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection, but they themselves do not go through it.

Few of us would dare go to the extent of identifying with Christ Himself. Most would shy away from doing this out the outrageous notion of one equating one’s self with God, and others would realize that though this isn’t what one means, identifying with Christ in the Gospel narrative would entail also suffering as He did.

Perhaps we can gather that this is precisely what the Apostles realized later on, as each one of them was martyred- they accepted their identification with Christ and His Passion and endured a fate similar to His.

So anyone who is insane enough to embark on the mystic quest of the good Christian understands that he, too, will be crucified in spirit, and that is not a path for everyone to endure.